Abstract
This article examines and analyses the challenges faced by Southern African
Development Community (SADC) member states while implementing the
organisation’s Trade Protocol, which it adopted in 1996 to increase intraregional
trade. The focus is on member states who have signed and ratified the
Protocol but struggle to honour it. This means that the SADC member states
that have not acceded to the Protocol are not the subject of analysis. While
several studies have been undertaken to explore regional economic integration
in SADC, the challenges emanating from the domestic circumstances faced by
members within the context of regional integration have not been properly
examined. This article argues that the failure of some member states, including
Malawi, Zimbabwe, and Angola, to honour their commitments to the Trade
Protocol is not unjustifiable; however, there must be a willingness to make
certain concessions for the region’s intra-trade agenda to be a success. This
article adopted a qualitative approach as it poses an exploratory question. The
sources used include SADC documents, World Bank reports (on gross domestic
product and World Development Indicators), and publications, including
policies, protocols, communiques, statements, books, and journal and
newspaper articles.